Protective plug for footwear



p 1950v Q J. HARVEY 2,521,515

PROTECTIVE PLUG FOR FOOTWEAR Filed cm. '20, 194'! ill v F/g. I.

John Harvey 1 WWW 19mm.

Patented Sept. 5, 1 950 n11; 1

, ,u lTEo ,sTAT.

a John Harvey, San FranciscoL This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wearing devices for the tread surfaces of footwear and the primary object of the present invention is to provide preferably, a resilient plug recessed in that part of the footwear to be protected and anchored with a tapered :pin having a threaded portion on its opposite end and permanently anchored in a recess and so positioned that a portion of the plug will project outwardly from the tread surface of the footwear to provide a Wearing surface that will prolong the durability of the tread surfaces of the footwear.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a protector of the aforementioned character that is adjustably and removably mounted as a, permanent anchorage in a recess provided in the tread surfaces of the footwear so that a portion of the protector will project outwardly from the recess at all times until pressure is applied thereon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a protective plug for footwear that is quickly and readily applied to or removed from that portion of the footwear that is to be protected.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a protector for the tread surfaces of footwear that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a shoe showing the present protector applied to the heel thereof;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of Figure 1, and with parts of the heel and protector broken away and shown in section;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the present protector;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the tread surface of a footwear showing the protector in thereto, and with parts of the protector being broken away and shown in section; and,

Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is modified form applied Application aerate 2o, 1947, Serial mime 2Claims. (Ciss -7151f disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral It) represents the heel portion of a footwear, designated generally by the numeral I2. This heel I0 is provid-' ed with a suitable number of preferably cylindrical bores or recesses l4 that communicate with the sole [6 of the shoe and in each of which there is loosely positioned a preferably cylindrical and resilient plug or body IS. A longitudinal, axial, smooth surfaced bore is provided in the plug l8 preferably three fourths its full length from the anchor pin end contact, and frictionally engages a screw threaded rod 22 having a conical projection 24 at one end that is engageable in the sole [6 of the shoe and with or without a kerf 26 at its opposite end 28 that is re-. cessed in the bore 20.

The plug [8 is centrally and loosely positioned in the recess 14 with its outer extremity 30 spaced outwardly from recess I4 and the plane defined by the wearing or tread surface 32 of the heel. As pressure is applied on the extremity 30 the resiliency of the plug will permit the same to be compressed within the recess I4 to prevent an uneven bearing surface for the footwear, however, it will be understood that during the initial engagement of the heel upon the ground surface the plug will first engage the ground surface to assume the Wear on the tread surface of the heel.

Obviously, the plug may also be recessed in the sole of the footwear adjacent the toe thereof with gnly slight changes in the relative size of the ody.

A tweezer type pattern tool can be used on the body whereby the same may be adjusted relative to the rod 22 so that the extremity 30 will be normally positioned outwardly from the recess Id at all times.

Reference is now directed to Figures 4 and 5, wherein there is disclosed the protective plug in slightly modified form applied to the sole 35'of a shoe. In this embodiment the smooth surface bore of the recess frictionally receivably engages the external threads of a resilient plug 42.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A protector for the tread surfaces of footwear comprising a resilient body insertable in a recess provided in the portion of the footwear to be protected, and an anchoring pin having a threaded portion adjustably mounted in said body, the inner end of said pin being taperedand projecting outwardly from one end of the body, said inner end being threaded for adjustably engaging the footwear, the opposite end of said pin being recessed in said body.

2, The combination of claim 1 wherein one end 16 of said body projects outwardly from the recess in the footwear, and means carried by; saidihody for adjusting said body within said recess so that one end of the bodyprojects outwardly from the recess, said means including a plurality of longitudinal tool receiving openings spaced from said pin.

JOHN HARVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Number Name Date 19,205 Pollard Jan, 26. 1858 2,187,621 Hanus Jan. 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number: Country Date 211,269 Germany Dec. 23, 1909 137,406 GiatBritain Jan. 15, 1920 

